People’s party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut told parliament today that the past year, under the Srettha Thavisin administration, was a “total waste”.
Policies could not be delivered because the country is not run under the rule of law, but at the whim of an oligarchy.
Not only was the Move Forward party (the predecessor to the People’s party) dissolved by a Constitutional Court on which some judges are biased against the party, but the previous cabinet and the people in general were also victimised by this political mechanism, he said during the debate following the government’s policy statement.
Citing the “digital wallet” scheme, promised as long ago as last year’s general election campaign, Natthaphong said the scheme has been postponed again and again and modified out of all recognition, to the extent that he wonders whether it will result in the “economic whirlwind”, as claimed by the previous administration, which was also run by the Pheu Thai party.
Regarding the government’s stated policy that they will urgently address household and informal debt by restructuring, he noted that the Srettha administration had promised the same thing, without delivering, meaning that Thailand’s household debt now amounts to 90.8% GDP, according to the Bank of Thailand.
While proclaiming that they are reducing energy and other utility charges, Natthaphong said the government has not even negotiated with major energy corporations yet, to change the pricing structure.
He went on to ask why another headline policy of the previous administration, to increase the minimum wage to 600 baht, was not included in this government’s policy statement, nor was how the government are going to deal with impacts of climate change.
The People’s party leader noted that amending or drafting of a new Constitution should be included as one of the 10 priority policies, highlighting the risk of the Constitutional Court being used to get rid of their real or imagined political enemies again.
Nicknaming Paetongtarn’s government as “the government of three bosses”, Natthaphong said he wonders whether it will last three years, if it remains subservient to a political system which is bent on undermining the rule of law.
Commenting on the government’s priority to resolve the illegal drug problem, People’s party MP Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn said that one of the most effective ways to tackle the problem is to target the major drug traffickers and to confiscate their assets.
Instead of simply locking up drug users, which often turns them into drug dealers, he suggested that the government increases the budget for the rehabilitation of the users, in cooperation with civil society and community networks.
Major drug traffickers are most afraid of having their assets confiscated, said Wiroj, noting that, although the amount of drugs seized by the authorities has increased considerably year by year, the value of assets seized has not increased proportionately.
